Volume 81, Issue 2, March 2016, Pages 189–193
Abstract
Renal
calculi (kidney stones) are often reported in domestic animals and
occasionally wildlife; however, prevalence is rarely reported for
free-ranging wildlife. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of renal
calculi in a large sample of free-ranging wolverine (Gulo gulo)
from a harvested population in Yukon, Canada. We tested for an effect
of sex, age, and body condition, on the presence of renal calculi.
Macroscopic examination revealed renal calculi in 48 of 537 (8.9%)
wolverine. Bilateralism was low, with only 6 of 48 (12.5%) affected
wolverine having calculi in both kidneys. Calculi were found in similar
prevalence between the sexes. A significantly higher percentage of
adults (≥2 years old) had renal calculi than sub-adults (<2 years
old). When considering adults alone, prevalence was 12.7% for males and
17.8% for females. The mean age of affected females was not
statistically different than the sample population, but the mean age of
affected adult males was 2 years older than unaffected adult males. Mean
body condition scores for wolverine with and without calculi were not
statistically different for females or males. Mineral composition was
determined for calculi from 29 wolverine. Calculi from most wolverine
(90%) were composed of 95–100% ammonium acid urate, with magnesium
ammonium phosphate (struvite) and calcium phosphate (apatite) as minor
(≤5%) constituents. Our study is one of the first to document the
prevalence of renal calculi in a free-ranging population of wildlife.
Prevalence of renal calculi in adult wolverine from northwestern Canada
was substantial; however, the pathogenesis and clinical significance of
nephrolithiasis in wolverine is unknown.
Keywords
- Kidney stone;
- Gulo gulo;
- Nephrolithiasis;
- Renal calculi;
- Wolverine
